Tilting at Windmills: A Journey to Find the Tilde Key in Linux

As someone who spends most of their time in front of a screen, I've grown accustomed to the tilde key (~) being just a few keystrokes away. However, when I recently switched from a Macbook with a US keyboard layout to a new laptop with a German layout, I found myself struggling to find this essential symbol.

For those who aren't familiar, the tilde key is used extensively in coding and programming languages, and its absence can be quite frustrating. So, how do you make the tilde key work on Linux? The answer lies in understanding the keyboard layout and making a few simple adjustments.

Before we dive into the solution, it's essential to understand that the tilde key is not as straightforward as it seems. Unlike other symbols, the tilde key is not bound to a specific key combination or function. Instead, it relies on the keyboard layout to produce the desired output.

To make the tilde key work on Linux, you'll need to follow these steps:

1. Open your terminal and type in `hidutil property -set ''`. This command will allow you to set the keyboard layout to US.

2. Next, run the following script: `hidutil property -set 'com.apple.keyboard.type' 0`.

3. Finally, open your favourite text editor or IDE and start typing. You should now be able to access the tilde key by pressing the key next to the number 1 at the top left corner of the keyboard.

And that's it! With these simple steps, you'll be able to make the tilde key work on Linux and continue coding with ease. So, the next time you're stuck without your trusty tilde key, remember that a little bit of tinkering can go a long way in solving the problem.

How to make tilde in linux